1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to ice packs and more particularly, to fasteners or closures for ice packs. The present invention is directed to a hinged, knife-and-sheath type bag closure.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is a standard therapeutic procedure to treat specific injuries, such as sprained or strained muscle tissues, by chilling the localized region of the injury to reduce swelling and deter subsequent harm. Ice packs of diverse forms are available for administering to localized injuries. Closures for sealing ice packs are generally of the blade and sheath type. In use, a neck portion of the ice pack is compressed into the sheath by the blade sealing ice in a reservoir or pouch. A flexible hinge secures the blade and sheath together. A locking member, located opposite the hinged end of the clamp, is biased to engage a locking shoulder to maintain the closure in a closed condition. Clamps fitting this general description are well known in the prior art of record. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,506, issued May 29, 1962 to John H. Anderson, Jr., discloses a clamp having a lock-bar pivotally connected to a channel by a pivot shaft. The pivot shaft passes through apertures in respective ends of the lock-bar and the channel. In a closed position, the channel receives the lock-bar. A wire bail pivotally mounted in apertures in the channel swings over the bar to engage in a notch in the bar to hold the bar firmly in the closed position. The clamp is intended to seal a camera case for use in underwater photography. Unlike Anderson, Jr., applicants' instant invention includes a tapered latch element having a shoulder integral with a first component and engageable with a lip at the end of a second component. Further, Anderson, Jr. does not teach a living hinge with a safety lock feature which reduces the risk of the clamp inadvertently unlatching in the event that the hinge breaks and the two components separate.
Another clamp is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,184, issued Mar. 2, 1965 to Nils L. W. Posse. The clamp includes two members, each being of an elongated shape. The first member comprises opposite end portions substantially parallel relative to one another and spaced apart by an intermediate portion. The end portions extend substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the first member, each in the same direction, and flex toward and away from one another. The faces of the end portions facing one another are provided with teeth. The first and second members are formed to cooperate with each other. The second member also includes two end portions and an intermediate portion. The end portions of the second member are constituted by inclined surfaces which terminate within detents. The operation of the clamp is as follows. A tube is placed between the first and second members. The members are moved toward each other and, during this movement, due to the configuration of the two members, the detents and the teeth of the respective end portions engage, pinching the tube between the intermediate portions, and sealing the passage within the tube. The tube is released by applying pressure against the end portions of the first member to disengage the teeth from the detents. The two members are shown pivoted or hinged together at one end. This is accomplished by a pivot pin that passes through walls of both members at one end. Alternatively, the two members are hinged together by a hook-and-pintle arrangement wherein the first member has a hook-like extension and the second member has wall extensions which support a pintle that engages the hook-like extension of the first member. Applicants' instant invention described hereinafter does not include either a pivot pin or a hook-and-pintle arrangement but includes a hinge strap for joining a first and second component together and a safety lock feature to inhibit the accidental separation of these two components. Further, applicants' instant invention includes a single latch element wherein Posse includes two cooperating latch elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,852, issued Apr. 26, 1966 to John D. Schneider, discloses another clamp. This clamp is in the form of a V-shaped member made of resilient, flexible material. The V-shaped member is provided with a pair of diverging arms secured together at the apex thereof by an integral loop hinge. Locking means is provided at the free end of one of the arms. The locking means is in the form of a catch having a stem portion and a hook portion, engageable with a complementary locking portion of the other of the two arms. The locking portion has a recess and an overlying lip engageable with the hook. Enlarged finger portions are provided which may be grasped between the thumb and forefinger to effect a closure. The diverging arms are provided with teeth to more firmly grip an article between the diverging arms. Schneider does not disclose a safety lock feature associated with the hinge nor does Schneider show a trough and blade, as taught by applicants.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,534, issued Aug. 11, 1970 to John L. Nolan, discloses a closure comprising a seat member and a wedge member movably related to one another. The seating surface and the wedge surface are intended to cooperatively capture a pouch therebetween. Each of the members include mutually engageable latch elements for holding the same in a clamped position. The seat member includes a U-shaped trough having two ends and closely spaced apart side walls. One end of the trough carries a pin or pintle element and the opposite end has a latch element or an abutment. The wedge member includes a blade-like body which is slightly narrower in cross-section than the width of trough. One end of the blade-like body has a hinge portion for receiving the pin or pintle and the other end is provided with a latch finger including a cam surface and shoulder to generally abut the latch element. In operation, a bag is folded over the blade-like body which, in turn, is received by the trough where the wedge and the seat are latched closed, thus sealing the bag therebetween. Applicants' instant invention is distinct from that taught by Nolan in that it includes a hinge strap and a safety lock feature.
Yet another clamp is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,765, issued May 29, 1973 to David L. Ichelson. The clamp comprises first and second jaws being substantially integral and being joined at one end by an integral plastic hinge. A longitudinal slot is formed in the free end of one jaw and a tang is formed integrally with the free end of the other jaw. The tang is received by the slot to lock the jaw in a closed condition. To enhance the retention ability of the clamp, frictional material is applied to the inner surface of each of the two jaws. In use, the jaws are spread apart to receive a thing to be clamped therein and then pressed together until the tang engages the slot in locks the jaws and place. Applicants' disclose a cooperatively engageable latch element and lip which is unlike the tang and slot taught by Ichelson. Furthermore, Ichelson does not disclose a safety hinge feature or a trough for receiving a blade.
A bag closure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,553, issued Jun. 25, 1974 to Richard L. Parmenter, wherein the bag closure includes a flat base having a living hinge at its center to divide the base into a right leg and a left leg. The width of the living hinge is equivalent to that of the right and left legs. An upwardly and outwardly extending right hook is formed integrally with the outer extreme top surface of the right leg and is engageable with an upwardly and inwardly extending left hook formed integrally with the outer extreme top surface of the left leg. In using the closure clip, the open end or neck portion of a bag or the like is gathered or pinched together and the clip is snapped thereabout by folding one leg relative to the other about the hinge. Alternatively, laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending corrugations or ribs are formed integrally with the top surface of the legs to enhance the retention of the bag relative to the clip. Unlike the two cooperatively engaging hooks disclosed by Parmenter, applicants' instant invention includes a latch element forming a single hook engageable with a lip. In addition, applicants' invention includes a trough for receiving a blade, which is not disclosed by Parmenter.
A clamp having a lower half which is connected through a hinge to an upper half is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,042, issued Apr. 1, 1975 to Roy T. Eddleman et al. The upper half includes a series of longitudinal ribs and the lower half includes a series of corresponding valleys or grooves for receiving the longitudinal ribs. The closure is held in a closed position through the cooperative engagement of a notch in a lug formed integrally with the upper half and a tongue formed integrally with the bottom half. The width of the hinge is substantially the same as the width of both the top and bottom halves. However, the hinge disclosed by Eddleman et al. does not include a safety lock feature, as does applicants' instant invention. Further, Eddleman et al. does not disclose a latch element in the form of a stem or hook engageable with a lip of a slot. Eddleman et al. also fails to disclose a trough for receiving a blade.
A closure member having a linear leg and an arcuate shaped leg interconnected at one end by a flexible hinge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,555, issued Sep. 7, 1976 to Marvin L. Weisenthal. A plurality of equidistantly spaced apart, projections extend substantially along the entire length of the interior surface of each leg forming channels therebetween. The projections of one leg fit within the channels the other leg upon locking the closure or clamp. A snap lock includes a leg having a chamfered shoulder engageable with a cut-out section. The leg is disposed at a free end of one of the legs and the cut-out section is disposed at the free end of the other leg. Weisenthal does not disclose a hinge having a safety lock feature. Further, Weisenthal does not show a trough for receiving a blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,303, issued Jul. 15, 1980 to John L. Nolan, discloses a clamp having arms joined at one of their ends by an integral enlarged loop hinge, formed of a single piece of flexible, resilient material, which may be autoclaved. Opposing surfaces of the arms are provided with teeth to provide for a secure grip of an article to be clamped therebetween. The outer surfaces of the free ends of the arms are provided with transverse ribs for gripping and manipulating the clamp while in use. Locking means are provided including a tongue integral with the free end of the upper arm and a forwardly-facing recess in the free end of the lower arm. The tip of the tongue cammingly engages a ramp in the recess. When the clamp is fully closed, the tongue snaps rearward and lateral notches in the tongue receive projections in the recess. Nolan does not teach a blade engageable with a trough nor a hinge including a safety lock feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,582, issued Oct. 13, 1981 to Jan I. Naslund, discloses a clip having a male leg, a female leg, and a hinge connecting the two legs together at one end. Located at the end of the clip opposite the hinge is a snap-fit interlocking mechanism comprised of a stud connected to the end of one leg and a catch connected to the end of the other leg. At the distal end of the stud is a detent member having an inclined forward surface. The catch has a collar and a central orifice for receiving the detent. Projecting from the inner face of the male leg is a rib. A mating slot is provided in the inner face of the female leg for receiving the rib. In use, the clip is open to receive an item to be clamped between the two legs and is then closed and locked in the closed position by engaging the stud and the catch. Applicants' instant invention is distinct from Naslund in that applicants include a hinge safety lock feature.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,347,848, issued Sep. 7, 1982, and 4,523,353, issued Jun. 18, 1985, both to Vance M. Hubbard et al., disclose a closure member comprising an elongated blade-like member hingedly connected to an elongated sheath member by a flexible element. The blade-like member is a substantially planar member having inwardly inclined front and rear surfaces and a cut in the end thereof proximate the front inclined surface to provide a locking structure for engaging a latching structure on the sheath member. The sheath member has substantially planar side walls connected by a roof portion having open end surfaces to permit portion of the inclined surfaces of the blade-like member to extend therethrough. The sheath member has a length slightly less than the blade-like member such that some compression of the front end thereof is required to bring the same into registration with the sheath member. The sheath member is of sufficient width so that an envelope may be wrapped around the blade-like member, and the blade-like member and the envelope may be pressed into the sheath member. The sheath member may be configured with outer ribs to enhance its structural integrity. The sheath member is provided with a flange about the periphery of its base which cooperates with the front open end surfaces to define an apertured latching member which cooperates with a notch in the front surface of the blade-like member to lock the blade-like member in registration with the sheath member. Hubbard et al. does not disclose a hinge safety lock feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,272, issued Sep. 24, 1991 to Steven R. Robinson et al., discloses a closure member including a longitudinal sheath and blade that snaps into the sheath. The sheath and blade each include parallel side walls and a base perpendicular to the side walls. The side walls of the sheath are spaced apart to define a slot therebetween. The side walls of the blade have parallel, outwardly protruding ribs which frictionally engage the interior surface of the side walls of the sheath. The sheath and blade also have a pivot end and a locking end. A pin extends between the sides walls at the pivot end of the sheath and a hook for receiving the pin is located at the pivot end of the blade. The locking end of the sheath includes a partition having a locking shoulder and a retaining wall forward of the partition defining a slot therebetween and the locking end of the blade has a locking member extending therefrom. The locking member has a tip with a locking shoulder positioned to frictionally engage the partition locking shoulder when the closure is in a locked position. Robinson et al. does not disclose a hinge safety lock feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,133, issued Jun. 30, 1992 to William Morrison, discloses a one-piece plastic clamp including a thin, elongated, planar wedge member and a narrow, channel-defining trough. The trough includes side walls that are spaced apart to define a channel therebetween. The trough is generally U-shaped in cross-section having an open top, a closed bottom, and a pair of opposite ends. The hinged member has a thin, elongated body with generally parallel, longitudinal, upper and lower edges, and opposite ends. A hinged end of the trough is joined to a hinged end of the blade by a thin, narrow, flexible strap integrally formed with the trough and the blade so as to produce a clamp of unitary construction. Though the clamp is formed of a rigid plastic material, the strap is flexible and deformable because of its thin, narrow dimension. As a result, a possible disadvantage exists in that the wedge may easily twisted out of alignment with the trough. It is suggested that the wedge and the trough may be separable, thus providing a clamp that is not of unitary construction. The trough is provided with a slit-like opening that cooperates with an integral latch element at the end of the body of the wedge member. The latch element tapers forwardly of the lower edge of the body and includes a shoulder that engages a lip that extends across the closing of the slit-like opening. When the clamp is closed, the latch element flexes inwardly about its point of connection and as soon as it clears the lip, it springs back to an original position to hold the members in a latched condition. An enlargement at the free end of the latch element serves as a lever for urging the latch element into an unlatched position when it is desirable to open the clamp. A thin, integral guide blade extends in an endwise direction from the hinged end of the wedge member. The guide blade extension has a smoothly-curved outline that merges smoothly with the lower edge of the trough. The guide blade is spaced well below the point of attachment between the hinge and the body of the wedge and, when the clamp is closed, the guide blade extends into and through a slit-like opening in the hinged end of the trough. The hinged end wall of the trough has a rounded lower edge surface which serves as a bearing surface for camming the wedge member downward when it engages the curved edge of the guide blade seating the wedge in the trough. Even if the hinge strap should become damaged and broken in use, the blade guide will ensure that the clamp remains in a closed condition until such time that it is intentionally released and the wedge member is pivoted into its raised position. Morrison points out a disadvantage is his invention being in that the thin, narrow, flexible strap enables the blade to twist out of alignment with the trough. Applicants overcome this disadvantage by employing a substantially wide strap. Though Morrison incorporates a guide blade, Morrison's guide blade includes a guide blade extension integral with the blade and engageable with a lower edge extending along an opening in the hinged end of the sheath, wherein applicants guide blade includes a smoothly-curved recess in the blade for receiving a curved shoulder in the trough. The guide blade disclosed by Morrison is located in a plane beneath the hinge strap and the guide blade included in applicants' invention is located a plane above the hinge strap.
A bag closure comprising a trough joined to a blade by a living hinge that is dimensioned and configured so as to resist breaking and ensure that the trough and the blade remain in alignment is desirable. Moreover, the closure in general should be dimensioned and configured such that the same may carry indicia in the form of operational instructions and a logo. The implementation of a safety lock to ensure that the closure remain closed in the event that the hinge becomes damaged or broken would place such a closure in greater demand. In addition, the safety lock should ensure the proper alignment of the trough and the blade as well as relieve stress otherwise normally sustained by the hinge. This safety lock would preferably be contained within the member, i.e. within the trough, where it would remain concealed and unobtrusive during the use of the closure. The locking portion of the bag closure should include a latch element having a portion thereof which permits the same to be easily unlatched and, in turn, enables the closure to be opened effortlessly. These and other features would overcome some of the obvious disadvantages noted in well known closures.
It should be noted that none of the above patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.